Recently, the media and public organizations have discussed the appropriateness of honoring at the state level the memory of historical figures who officially worked in the system of government during World War II in the territories occupied by Nazi Germany and its allies. Particularly, the recent scandal, which erupted in September this year through a public initiative to erect a "stumbling block" in Kyiv in honor of Volodymyr Bagaziy (1902-1942), a former mayor of Kyiv appointed to the post by the Nazi government in October 1941. https://www.dw.com/uk/u-kyievi-v-pamiat-pro-zhertv-babynoho-yaru-zaklaly-pershyi-kamin-spotykannia/a-59367872; https://focus.ua/uk/ukraine/493769-rukovodil-kievom-pri-nacistah-k-godovshchine-babego-yara-v-stolice-poyavitsya-pamyatnik-bagaziyu).
Recently, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution to commemorate memorable dates and anniversaries for 2022-2023. It, in particular, proposed the official celebration of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Yuri Polyansky (1892-1975) - a famous geologist and geographer who, in addition, during June-September 1941 he held the post of mayor in Nazi-occupied Lviv. According to available documents, he thanked the Nazis for liberating the city from Soviet rule and, on behalf of the Ukrainian community, promised the governor "obedience and loyalty."
According to the Law of Ukraine "On Condemnation of Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) Totalitarian Regimes in Ukraine and Prohibition of Propaganda of Their Symbols", "National Socialist (Nazi) Totalitarian Regime is recognized in Ukraine as criminal and pursued a policy of state terror characterized by numerous human rights violations in the form of individual and mass killings, executions, deaths, torture, use of forced labor and other forms of mass physical terror, persecution on racial and ethnic grounds […] ”(see Article 2 of the Law) and condemned as incompatible with fundamental rights. human and civil rights and freedoms.
In addition, Article 5 “Investigation and Disclosure of Crimes Committed by Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) Totalitarian Regimes” of this Law states that the state investigates crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and humanity, war crimes committed by Ukraine, communist and/or National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes, and takes measures to eliminate the consequences of such crimes and restore historical justice, in particular by researching and establishing the number of victims of the communist totalitarian regime of 1917-1991 in Ukraine, the National Socialist (Nazi) ) totalitarian regime, "[…] persecution on ethnic, national, religious, political, class, social and other grounds […]" (see the text of the Law: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/317-19#Text).
In accordance with the law, Museum "Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine" proposes a moratorium on the glorification of those who cooperated with the Nazi occupation authorities and held positions in the Nazi occupation administration during World War II. finding out about participation in the organization and implementation of punitive actions, persecution and murder of people.